John B. Connally Unit

The John B. Connally Unit is a maximum-security prison for males located in unincorporated Karnes County, Texas, United States. It is located on Farm to Market Road 632, just east of U.S. Highway 181 2 miles (3.2 km) south of the city of Kenedy,^[1] and southeast of San Antonio.^[2] The prison, with about 813 acres (329 ha) of space, is operated by the Correctional Institutions Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, administered as within Region IV.^[1] The unit is named for former Governor and United States Treasury Secretary John B. Connally, Jr.

History

The prison opened in July 1995.^[1] On December 13, 2000, the prison became infamous after seven inmates staged an elaborate breakout that was successful; this group later became known as the Texas Seven. During the subsequent crime spree, the seven fugitives killed a police officer in Irving. Six of the inmates were later recaptured in January 2001, while the seventh committed suicide before being captured; the six who were recaptured were sentenced to death.^[3]

Notable inmates

• Texas Seven, escaped in December 2000 and caused the death of Irving police officer Aubrey Hawkins during a robbery.^[3] One of them committed suicide while on the run; the others were recaptured, tried, and convicted in the Hawkins murder, all being sentenced to death.
  • Joseph C. Garcia
  • Randy Ethan Halprin
  • Larry James Harper (committed suicide while on the run)
  • Patrick Henry Murphy, Jr.
  • Donald Keith Newbury (executed February 2, 2015)
  • George Rivas (ringleader, executed February 29, 2012)
  • Michael Anthony Rodriguez (declined appeals beyond mandatory, executed August 14, 2008)

References

External links

• Connally Unit

Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division prison units
Region I	Byrd Eastham Ellis Estelle Ferguson Goree Huntsville Lewis Polunsky Wynne
Region II	Beto Boyd Coffield Michael Powledge Telford
Region III	Clemens Darrington Hightower Jester III Ramsey Scott Stiles Stringfellow Terrell Vance
Region IV	Briscoe Connally Lynaugh McConnell Stevenson Torres
Region V	Allred Clements Dalhart Daniel Jordan Neal Roach Rudd Smith Wallace
Region VI	Crain♀ Hilltop♀ Hobby♀ Hughes Luther Mountain View♀ Murray♀ Pack Robertson
Private	Bridgeport Cleveland Diboll Estes Kyle Lockhart♀ B. Moore
Former units	Central
Above facilities are male-only unless noted by ♀(female-only)

Coordinates: 28°46′30″N 97°50′04″W / 28.77500°N 97.83444°W / 28.77500; -97.83444